What do you believe in without having any evidence of?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Would you admit that you in fact DO believe lots of things solely on the basis of testimony? For example, if a good friend you've lost touch with called you up and said that she'd moved back to town, you wouldn't "suspend disbelief". You'd automatically believe her. You wouldn't demand proof or wait for your friend to be "personally evidenced" to you. You'd take her word for it and immediately act on that belief. You'd make arrangements to meet, inquire about her circumstances, etc.

You'd also have a fair bit of other knowledge that would contribute to a sense that this is a reasonable idea, for example things like these, possibly:

- the local phone number that came up on the call display when she called
- the knowledge that the place she says she'll be working was looking for new employees not too long ago
- the knowledge that the new address she gives you matches up with either an individual house for sale or with a new subdivision
- physical or measurable signs she'd given before that indicated she wanted to move back to town
- knowledge of the causes or events that spurred her to leave her previous home (e.g.: "the plant closed down" - yep, heard about that in the news. "My house was wiped out by a hurricane" - heard about that, too. "My husband cheated on me, so I left him" - he was a jerk; that sounds plausible)

Besides this imaginary scenario, there are plenty of things you believe right now that you believe only because other people you trust have told you so. And yes, your belief is more than a suspension of disbelief (as if you walk around in a constant state of disbelief until proven/personally evidenced otherwise!).

Years ago, my parents bought a Toyota Corolla and phoned me up to tell me. Even before seeing the car, I believed them.

If they had phoned me up and told me that they had bought a Dodge Viper, I wouldn't have believed them for a number of reasons. Given what I knew of my parents, it wouldn't have been a reasonable thing to believe that they would buy a big, flashy, expensive, impractical, gas-hungry, two-seater sports car.

Apparently, just being told something is not enough to get me to believe it... not even by people who I trust deeply. What do you think the difference is between "we bought a Corolla" and "we bought a Viper" that pushes the Corolla up into the realm of believability?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I believe in the existence of TVOR, even though I personally have yet to see him for physical evidence......

Oh, I'm real, baby. My wife would be the first to tell you that I'm a real pain in the backside.

 

[Charity]

Oh, I'm real, baby. My wife would be the first to tell you that I'm a real pain in the backside.

She must be quite a woman, to put up with you.....Just teasing you...

 

[Magic Man]

I've been thinking about your very interesting question. I believe in lots of things without having any more evidence than someone elses word. These are all things that I don't really care about or that I am not really interested in.
Everything that I believe in which is important to me I have a basis for believing in. Whether or not my basis for belief would be acceptable to anyone else is a different matter entirely.

I'm gonna cheat and take Stephen's answer. I can't find a better way to put it.

 

[Watchmen]

Really? What might those kinds be?

Examples:

scientific knowledge
subjective knowledge
spiritual knowledge

 

[methylatedghosts]

Is there anything that you believe while at the same time knowing that you have no basis for believing it other than being told by someone else that it was so?

Life on other planets.

The movies put the idea in my head. I thought it'd be silly to expect that this planet is the only in this universe with life on it. But other than the movies, I really have no evidence

 

[blackout]

My own approach many years ago was to put a hold on all acquired (or given beliefs) and seek understanding from the ground up. This has led to understanding of a whole new reality.

That is EXACTLY what happened to/with me. :rainbow1:

 

[tomspug]

I also approve of stephen's answer, because I think that this is what it boils down to, in general. When comparing one belief to another, the incorrect response is to assume that the other is uninformed and thus mistaken in their justification for belief.

Instead, we should compare the experiences of others with our own, with an emphasis on challenging our OWN assumptions. Challenging the assumptions and experiences of others is not only arrogant, it's rude and accomplishes nothing.

 

[rojse]

Booya. Futhermore, someone's else's word exists in the form "someone else's word".

That is simply a consequence of our construction of the written language.

 

[blackout]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Willamena
Booya. Futhermore, someone's else's word exists in the form "someone else's word".

That is simply a consequence of our construction of the written language.

No, actually for me,

someone else's word (for a thing)
is simply
someone else's word (for a thing).

that IS the form of the thing

 

[rojse]

Everyone on here besides myself might be automated robots, instead of living, breathing people that have different opinions about religion.

 

[blackout]

Everyone on here besides myself might be automated robots, instead of living, breathing people that have different opinions about religion.

Could be.

How probable or improbable that idea is to you
is your own thing.

 

[rojse]

I have read through the thread, tomspug, and see where you are coming from, but don't see the connect to what you are about to say as a result of this thread, namely, that atheists take things for granted like theists.

Certainly, things that I accept might be wrong. The Earth might not go around the sun. The speed of light might be wrong. Paris might not really exist. Man might not have landed on the moon. George W Bush Jnr might be a competent politician. Palin might be erudite, extremely educated, and be well-informed of national and international politics. All other number of things that I take for granted might be wrong.

But to accept this is to say that there are many different people, of many different countries and agendas, are devoting vast amounts of resources out there, and going to great efforts simply to make me think these things. Certainly, it's possible, I will grant that, but the sheer scale of probability of such an event makes it seem extremely unlikely to me.

 

[blackout]

I have read through the thread, tomspug, and see where you are coming from, but don't see the connect to what you are about to say as a result of this thread, namely, that atheists take things for granted like theists.

Certainly, things that I accept might be wrong. The Earth might not go around the sun. The speed of light might be wrong. Paris might not really exist. Man might not have landed on the moon. George W Bush Jnr might be a competent politician. All other number of things that I take for granted might be wrong.

But to accept this is to say that there are many different people, of many different countries and agendas, are devoting vast amounts of resources out there, and going to great efforts simply to make me think these things. Certainly, it's possible, I will grant that, but the sheer scale of probability of such an event makes it seem extremely unlikely to me.

I dunno rojse...

people are swayed soooooo easily to conform their thinking.

Like a domino effect.... it only takes one finger to begin it.
And then each domino passes it on .....

And certainly we live in a structured array...
rather like a domino city perhaps?

Just a thought.

 

[rojse]

I dunno rojse...

people are swayed soooooo easily to conform their thinking.

Like a domino effect.... it only takes one finger to begin it.
And then each domino passes it on .....

And certainly we live in a structured array...
rather like a domino city perhaps?

Just a thought.

If someone had proof that the sun revolved around the earth, we would hear about it ten minutes later.

That is, unless, the media is in on the conspiracy, too.

 

[blackout]

If someone had proof that the sun revolved around the earth, we would hear about it ten minutes later.

That is, unless, the media is in on the conspiracy, too.

It may be scoffed at ...
and the "proof" dismissed as kook theory...
And the experts would argue...

this evidence...
vrs... that evidence...

my picture...
vrs.... your picture...

and I would yawn...

who knows.

 

[Darkwater]

I will believe anything that can pass my application of logic & can stand up to rigorous scrutiny,until proven otherwise.

Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes sums it up pretty well.

"obtain & study all the facts,once you eliminate the impossible then what you are left with,no matter how improbable,is the truth"

Or at least a small truth which may allign with a larger,or a universal truth maybe,or not depending upon the barriers or blockages you run into.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Darkwater -

What is that seal (or crest) that you use as an avatar?

 

[Magic Man]

I will believe anything that can pass my application of logic & can stand up to rigorous scrutiny,until proven otherwise.

Yes, I've noticed.

 

[Willamena]

"What do you believe in without having any evidence of?"

That Americans learned "English" in school.